Fx 2.0.0.12 Issues & Preloader

I noticed a couple comments on the Firefox 2.0.0.12 Released post about issues with add-ons when upgrading to this new release. I did upgrade to the released version of Fx 2.0.0.12 even though I should not have (more on this later). I did not have any issues with my add-ons no longer working or causing the browser to crash. While, I know two different readers have had this issue, I don’t know what add-ons they had installed or what OS they were using and for that matter if this involved the en-US version of Firefox. Without getting more specific details I can only guess that either their profiles were damaged or Firefox when it installed did not do so correctly.

Now, I mentioned that I did ‘upgrade to Fx 2.0.0.12 even though I should not have’. I have my Firefox configured to check and get updates from the Nightly Update Channel. Earlier this week I had installed the Firefox Preloader and discovered it caused numerous problems, especially when it came to updates. In order for an update to take effect, Firefox needs to restart. However with the Firefox Preloader in use, exiting Firefox does not completely close the browser. I was getting numerous update errors because of this since Firefox was technically still running. Then on Friday I was presented with this screen:

Now wait a minute!!! I shouldn’t be seeing this screen. I am on the Nightly Update Channel, not the Release Update Channel. I should have been presented with an update for Bon Echo 2.0.0.13pre. Of course when I went to restart Firefox so I could apply this update I got numerous error messages saying the update failed. It even re-downloaded the Fx 2.0.0.12 update, which I was able to successfully install once I had selected the Unload Firefox option from the Firefox Preloader.

Now, before I had shut down Friday night I did get an update from the Nightly Update Channel for Bon Echo 2.0.0.13pre. I downloaded the update, but didn’t apply it last night. When I went to start Firefox today, once again had several error messages regarding the update failing. Once again after selecting the Unload Firefox option from the Firefox Preloader, I was able to get the update to install.

I have since removed the Firefox Preloader from my system. It really did not seem to make all that much difference as far as load time. Perhaps it because I already have the SuperFetch feature enabled in Windows Vista. My Firefox doesn’t take too long to load (not that I have timed it), but I know it not as bad as Spybot 1.5.1(note the new 1.5.2 is suppose to fix the ‘load time’ issue).